Document
What is a .ans file?
A .ans file is a 7-bit ANSI Text. This is a document format, so it holds text and layout meant to be read. Confusingly, this extension has been used by 2 different formats over the years — they're all listed below.
This extension has been used by more than one format
2 different formats have claimed .ans over the years, so two files with the same extension aren't necessarily the same kind of thing.
How to open a .ans file
- Try LibreOffice (free, Windows/Mac/Linux) — it opens an enormous range of current and historic document formats.
- Microsoft Word and Google Docs handle most mainstream document types.
- If nothing opens it, open it in a text editor: many older document formats have readable text inside.
The registry records this extension against 7-bit ANSI Text, 8-bit ANSI Text, so software from that family is the most likely match.
How to convert a .ans file
- Once it opens in LibreOffice or Word, Save As .docx or .pdf to get it into a format you can use anywhere.
MIME type
When a .ans file travels over the web, servers label it with this MIME type:
text/plainThe technical record
For archivists, developers and the merely curious: these are the PRONOM registry entries for .ans.
| Format name | Version | MIME type | PUID |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7-bit ANSI Text | — | text/plain | x-fmt/21 |
| 8-bit ANSI Text | — | text/plain | x-fmt/282 |